Mica's Rules
by My Whole Life Is Thunder
Summary: As long as Mica Gibbs can remember it's been just her and her dad. Then her grandpa dies, leaving behind his two foster kids. Whom Gibbs immediately adopts. Now suddenly it's a family of five. Feeling confused and left out she envies her best friends Erica and Gracie. Who face their own changes and challenges that make their lives anything but enviable.
1. Prologue

Seven year old Michaela Ann (Mica) Gibbs twisted her auburn hair around the eraser end of her pencil. She looked up at the clock on the classroom wall. One more hour and school would be out. She and her two best friends Erica Vance and Gracie Hollis, would be splashing in the pool at Gracie's house. The three girls had been best friends as long as anybody could remember. Mica and Gracie had been best friends since before birth. With both their fathers being with NCIS and their mothers getting pregnant two weeks apart. Except Mrs. Hollis was still alive. Erica had joined the trio when the girls were two. When Erica's dad became director of NCIS and for the past six years they were inseparable. They were known around NCIS as the rainbow girls. Because of Mica's pale skin and red hair, Gracie's tan skin and blue/gray eyes, and Erica's dark skin and brown eyes. Gracie wasn't that much darker than Mica but Abby dubbed them that when she was baby-sitting not long after Eric joined the group and it stuck.

"Forty more minutes." Erica whispered.

"I know I can't wait! Did you bring your suit?" Mica asked.

"Of course I brought my suit." Erica replied.

"Do you think Mrs. Hollis will make her homemade pizza rolls?" Mica asked.

"She always does." Erica replied.

"Those are so good. I love going to Gracie's house." Mica replied.

"Me too and just think two more weeks and we spend every other day over there. Instead of in this prison." Erica replied.

"School isn't that bad but yeah I can't wait to go over to your guys' houses every day. While our dad's are at work. I just wish that we could go to my house." Mica replied.

"Well maybe your dad will get married again." Erica suggested.

"A sixth time?" Mica hissed just a little too loudly.

"Miss. Gibbs! Miss. Vance! No more talking!" Mrs. Wiggins warned.

"Sorry" Mica apologized.

"Yes mam." Erica added.

* * *

Mica turned her attention back to her history worksheet. While Erica scowled down at her sheet and tapped her fingers on her desk. She had always hated school. It didn't help that her sister and brother were geniuses who loved school. Not that Erica was stupid. She was actually just as smart as Jared and Kayla she just didn't like school. Mica hoped that she wouldn't try to talk with her anymore. She hated getting in trouble. Her dad was a Marine and he took discipline very seriously. He wasn't abusive but he was strict. More importantly though she hated disappointing him. He had raised her on his own and worked as an agent for so long. Even after all the tragedy he had been through losing his first wife and daughter. Her older sister Kelly. Who died along with her mother over a decade before she was even born. He still was a loyal and devoted father and Mica wanted nothing more to make him proud. She looked up at the clock again twenty minutes left. She quickly answered the last two questions on her sheet, tore the page out, and slipped the work book in her desk.

"You done already?" Erica asked.

*Mica nodded*

"Miss. Gibbs!" Mrs. Wiggins called.

"I wasn't talking! I just nodded and I am done!" Mica protested.

"No sweetie you are needed at the office. You are being checked out take all your stuff and turn any completed work in." Mrs. Wiggins explained.

"Oh" Mica replied.

"Luuccckkyyyy!" Erica called.

"Not really. Tell Gracie I said hi." Mica replied.

"You aren't going?" Erica asked.

"Not if I am going home so close to the end of the day. I just hope my dad is OK." Mica sighed.

"I'm sure he's fine maybe he's just taking you to get a new suit." Erica suggested.

"Erica Vance! Stop talking now or their will be detention! Michaela Gibbs you best get to the office. I am sure somebody is waiting." Mrs. Wiggins ordered.

* * *

The walk to the front office felt a mile long. Mica just knew that there was bad news waiting for her. She always knew when bad things happened or were going to happen and she had felt bad all day. People always told her that she had inherited her dad's gut and that she should be an agent when she grew up. She did want to join NCIS one day but not as an agent. She had never told anyone this not even Erica and Gracie but she wanted to be a Medical Examiner. She remembered observing Ducky in the field one time and falling in love with the profession. She just hoped it wasn't too weird of a job for a girl. When she finally reached the office she opened the door and knew right away that something terrible really had happened. Standing in front of the principal's desk was Mrs. Roberts the guidance counselor. She was holding a box of tissues and the infamous dang-it doll. Mica knew it had a different name she also knew that when Mrs. Roberts was waiting with it somebody had died. What she didn't see right away was her dad. Had he been killed in the field? Where would she live now? She was just about to break her rule about crying. When she noticed her dad sitting in the worn black leather chair beside the door. He looked like he was going to cry and he never cried. Somebody was dead alright but who?

"I was called up here." Mica said nervously.

"Michaela we have some really sad news for you I am afraid." Principal Dawson replied.

"Just know that it is OK to feel sad or angry or even nothing at all..." Mrs. Roberts said beginning her famous somebody you care about just died and your whole world is going to be topsy-turvy if you are lucky just temporarily speech.

"Who was it?" Mica asked.

"Mica I am sorry to have to tell you this but your grandpa Jack had a stroke. He didn't make it. We have to go to Stillwater right away." Gibbs explained solemnly.

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? All the kids are my OC's Just a FYI Jackie Vance is still alive but she will die later in the story. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading**.


	2. Now What?

Mica starred out the back window of her dad's truck. She could not believe that her grandpa Jack was dead. She had just seen him just before Thanksgiving. Heck she had just talked to him a few days before and he was just fine. It was obvious that he was getting older and that he was going to die soon the last time she saw him. She just didn't think it would be this soon. Her dad was in the driver's seat. He had his eyes fixed on the road and he was breathing heavily. The way he always drove when he was upset. She could not imagine how he must be feeling right now. She knew that her grandmother, her dad's mom, Grandpa Jack's wife. Had died when her dad was just a kid, not much older than her yet. She had never gotten to meet her but she had plenty of stories from Grandpa Jack and her middle name was in honor of her grandmother Ann. After Ann died Jack had raised her dad on his own. Just like her dad was doing for her. She would be completely heart-broken if he died. Even if she was all grown-up and older like her dad was.

"Mica are you OK?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah I am fine." Mica replied.

"Good but it is OK to be sad." Gibbs explained.

"Are you OK, daddy?" Mica asked.

"Yeah I am fine." Gibbs assured.

"Good" Mica replied.

"This is the last town for a while so if you need the bathroom or anything to eat or drink. Speak up now." Gibbs explained.

"No I am good." Mica assured.

"Are you sure?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes I am fine." Mica replied.

"Great we should be to Stillwater in an hour and a half." Gibbs explained.

"OK wake me up when we get there." Mica replied picking up her travel pillow.

* * *

Eight year old Mallory Nell "Lori" Hudson leaned against the wall of the Stillwater sheriff's office. Her little sister ten month old Katherine Elizabeth "Katie" slept in a playpen beside her. The year before in for a project in school. She had to learn the meaning and origin of her name. She looked at the baby name book her parents had used to name Katie and learned that it meant "Unlucky one". She remembered being mad that her parents had given her such a terrible name. Now it was just mocking her with its appropriateness. Her parents died the next summer just three and a half months after the assignment. Poor Katie was less than a month old. With no living relatives left, they had spent the past ten months in foster care. For months they were in a different home every week. Sometimes she was in two new school's a week. The agency didn't want to split her and Katie up and she didn't want to be separated from her sister but unfortunately very few people wanted two children. Even less wanted an eight year old. The majority of people wanted to adopt babies but as the months wore on and Katie became less new. People lost interest in adopting them. She was starting to give up and prepare to spend the next ten years moving from home to home every few days but then she met Jack. In January she and Katie were taken to a small-town in Pennsylvania called Stillwater. To live with their newest foster-father. Knowing that it was a single man, she was sure it would be another quick turnaround. She had to be forced by her social-worker Bess to even bother bringing her bag out of the car. Thinking she would just be back in the backseat of the Buick within a matter of days. Jack was different though. He ran the general store in town and had for almost fifty years. He had been widowed decades ago and never remarried but he had a grown son but he was a Navy Cop and he had a daughter of his own who was seven. She also learned that Jack had become very ill a couple of months before. He thought he was developing Alzheimer's but it turned out just to be a bad reaction to a new medication. Luckily the doctors got him off of it in time and he got back to normal in a matter of weeks. When he recovered he vowed to start helping people and was immediately signed up to be a foster parent. Two weeks later the girls were brought to his door. Lori was starting to think she had found her forever home. Then today she got called out of class. The town sheriff picked her up and brought her to the station. Where he told her that Jack had suffered a stroke at work and had died almost instantly. She and Katie had spent the past two and a half hours sitting in the sheriff's office. Waiting for Bess to come and get them and take them to their newest foster home. Once again she was an orphan who would be bumped from foster home to foster home. Except this time she doubted she would find another Jack. She would spend the rest of her childhood without a home or family and she had sentenced her baby sister to the same fate. She was terrible. She bit her lip and hung her head. She tried not to cry but it was a futile exercise and within seconds she was bawling like a baby. Lori was still crying when the door opened and Bess walked in the building. She slowly walked over to the girls and pulled Lori into a pity hug.

"Oh Malallory I am so sorry dear girlie." Bess apologized in her heavy accent Lori could not quite place.

"It's not fair!" Lori cried.

"I know honey I know." Bess replied.

"Where am I going to live now?" Lori asked.

"We don't have an homes available so I am going to have to take you to a group home until we can find a family willing to take you." Bess explained.

"I don't want to go to a new home." Lori sobbed.

"I know you don't sweetie but it's not like somebody is just going to walk through that door and agree to adopt you on the spot." Bess apologized.

* * *

"Hello I am Jethro Gibbs, Jack was my father I need to go to the morgue but I don't want my daughter to see the body and I don't have my key to his place. Can she stay here?" A voice called from the doorway.

* * *

**A/N: Gibbs always shows up at the perfect time doesn't he? New chapter will be up soon and much better. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	3. Secrets Good and Bad

Mica stood behind her father. She wished that he would let her go with him to the morgue to identify Grandpa Jack's body. He knew that she had observed Ducky performing an autopsy before and it had never affected her. Maybe itwould be different because she actually knew Jack while the bodies she saw on Ducky's table were strangers. Both Ducky and Jimmy had both told her that it was different and much harder when it was somebody you knew. She looked around the Stillwater sheriff's office. There was a woman talking a girl who looked like she was about her age and holding a toddler in her arms. Mica's ears perked up when she heard the older girl mention Jack's name. Her dad must have been interested too because he walked over to the woman and tapped her on the shoulder.

"May I help you?" Bess asked.

"I am Jethro Gibbs, my father was Jackson Gibbs. I couldn't help but hear the young lady mention his name. Did you and your daughters know him?" Gibbs asked.

"I am not their mother. I am their social worker." Bess replied.

"Social worker?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes these girls are foster children they were under Jack's care when he died." Bess explained.

"What's going to happen to them now?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know they are hard to place because we don't want to separate them and Lori here is older. Even Katie is hard to place because most people want one child or a new baby. It is hard to place two older children. I am going to put them in a group home in Philadelphia for at least tonight until I find emergency foster care." Bess explained.

"What if I wanted to adopt them?" Gibbs asked.

"Are you a registered foster parent?" Bess asked.

"No" Gibbs replied.

"Are you next of kin for your father?" Bess asked.

"Yes" Gibbs replied.

"Well then you can take them temporarily to be able to take them in permanently you will have to fill out some paperwork and their will be a background check." Bess explained.

"Great" Gibbs replied.

* * *

Erica glared at the text-book that lay in front of her. It wasn't fair she was supposed to be swimming right now. Instead she was stuck doing homework. It wasn't her fault she hadn't finished her work. If Mrs. Wiggins hadn't kept yelling at her she would have finished. Of course if Mrs. Hollis hadn't called her mom. She could have gotten the homework done on the bus just like always. Why did everybody have to be so strict with her? Why was school so important anyway? It wasn't even interesting. It was just reviewing what they had already tried teaching her throughout the year. The last week of school they would have to take a test to see what they had learned. What had she learned? School really was boring and sitting right beside your best friend meant noting. You may as well be in different classes just your other best friends. After what seemed like an eternity she had finished. She looked up at the clock. Two hours, she had spent two hours doing stupid homework. She shoved her worksheet in her binder and shoved the binder in the backpack. Before walking down the hall and changing into her bathing suit. She ran as fast as she could outside and canon-balled into the deep-end of the pool. Accidentally flipping Gracie off of her pool float in the process.

"Hey!" Gracie yelled.

"Sorry" Erica apologized.

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be!" Gracie cried swimming over towards Erica.

"What are you gonna do?" Erica asked.

"Shark attack!" Gracie cried diving under the water and grabbing Erica's leg.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Erica screamed punching the water by Gracie's head.

"No rough housing in the pool! Either stop now or stay out for a week!" Mrs. Hollis warned.

"Sorry Mrs. Hollis." Erica apologized.

"Sorry mommy we won't do it anymore." Gracie apologized.

"That's all I ask. Grabbing people like that and punching around people's heads is how people drown and I would hate it if something happened to you two." Mrs. Hollis explained.

"I know I just got carried away." Erica replied.

"Me too." Gracie added.

"It's OK. How about we get out for a while and have some homemade pizza rolls?" Mrs. Hollis suggested.

"Great!" Gracie cried.

"Aw but I just got in!" Erica cried.

"Alright you can have ten more minutes but it looks like it's going to rain." Mrs. Hollis replied.

"That sounds good." Gracie replied.

"YEAH!" Erica cried.

*BOOM*

"That's thunder get out of the pool now!" Mrs. Hollis cried.

"Aw man!" Gracie and Erica cried in unison.

* * *

Ten minutes later Gracie and Erica were sprawled out on the floor of Gracie's bed room eating pizza rolls and watching a rerun of "Friends" on TBS.

"Do you think we will be like that one day?" Erica asked.

"We just need three boys." Gracie replied.

"Yeah we are even like the characters. You are like Rachel because you are into fashion and stuff, Mica is like Monica cause she is super neat and I am like Phoebe because I am quirky and I like to sing and make up songs." Erica explained.

"Yeah you're right." Gracie replied.

"I wish Mica was here!" Erica cried shoving a pizza roll in her mouth.

"Me too I wonder what happened." Gracie replied.

"I hope her dad is OK." Erica replied.

"I am sure he is fine." Gracie assured.

"Maybe we should try to call her." Erica replied.

"Good idea I am going go ask my mom if I can borrow her phone." Gracie replied.

* * *

Gracie walked down the hallway to her living room. She was surprised to see her dad's car parked in the driveway. As she passed by the front window. Her dad was never home early had something happened to Mr. Gibbs. She was staring to open the living room door when she heard her parents whispering. Maybe they were talking about her birthday that was coming up the first week of June. Letting her curiosity get the best of her she released the doorknob, leaned against the door, and cupped her hand behind her ear.

"Did you get it taken care of?" Mrs. Hollis asked.

"They are planning my birthday!" Gracie squealed in her head.

"The hit?" Mr. Hollis asked.

"Hit? Like punch? Who did her dad punch?" Gracie asked herself.

"How much was it?" Mrs. Hollis asked.

"Fifty-thousand" Mr. Hollis replied.

"Really?" Mrs. Hollis asked.

"I know that's a lot but just think how much I will make when I am promoted to director" Mr. Hollis replied.

"Oh no that is pretty good for a hit." Mrs. Hollis replied.

"Just think honey. Once Vance is out-of-the-way. I will be director and we can finally move into that gated community." Mr. Hollis explained.

"Gracie can have real friends." Mrs. Hollis replied.

"Our lives will be perfect" Mr. Hollis replied.

"Once Vance is dead." Mrs. Hollis added.

* * *

**A/N:What is Gracie going to do now? Will she tell somebody what her parents did or will she keep quiet? Don't worry there will be more Mica in the next chapter. I just wanted to introduce the B storyline. New chapter will be up soon please review and thanks for reading.**


	4. Afraid

Mica studied the other two girls. She didn't know how she felt about suddenly gaining to sisters. Well maybe it would depend if her dad was approved to be a foster/adoptive parent or not. Just last year Jimmy and his wife Breena had struggled to be approved as potential adoptive parents because of their jobs. Except now they knew a lawyer who could help her dad adopt Lori and Katie. Maybe it would be fun to have sisters. Especially having one so close to her age. Well Lori probably was slightly older than her but she was still young enough to be her playmate. Erica had two older siblings Kayla who was fifteen and Jarred who had just turned thirteen. Gracie had two older brothers from her dad's first marriage but one had died in an accident just before Gracie was born. He was only ten years old at the time. The surviving brother was almost twenty-three now and was married with a son of his own. Gracie had only met her living half-brother once before and she was really little then so she didn't remember. Erica liked her siblings though, Jared more than Kayla. Because he was more laid back while Kayla was on the up-tight side like their parents. She was suddenly pulled back to attention by her dad squeezing her shoulder.

"Mica this is Lori and Lori this is Mica." Gibbs introduced.

"Mica? Is that a boy's name?" Lori asked.

"Well yeah but it's short for Michaela." Mica explained.

"Oh" Lori replied still confused.

"So is Lori short for Lauren? My mom's middle name was Lauren." Mica asked.

"No it's short for Mallory." Lori explained.

"That's a pretty name." Mica replied.

"I guess though at least it's a girl's name." Lori replied.

"Hey!" Mica snapped slapping Lori on the head, the way she had seen her dad hit her brother Tony.

"Ow!" Lori cried.

"Mica that wasn't nice apologize." Gibbs warned.

"But you slap Tony like that and besides you say never to apologize." Mica argued.

"When you are unfairly mean you have to apologize and besides you hit her way too hard. I heard it over here." Gibbs explained.

"Fine I am sorry." Mica apologized.

"Just don't do it again." Lori warned.

"OK girls I have to go and deal with my dad. Can I trust you to get along? I will be back as soon as I can." Gibbs explained.

"Yes sir." Mica replied saluting.

"Yes sir." Lori replied.

"Good now behave yourselves and make Jack proud." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Back and DC Director Vance had left Tony in charge. He had acted right away as to prevent a repeat of the last time Gibbs was gone. Except this time Tony wasn't excited to be in charge. He had been in charge less than an hour when he had told the others he had forgotten to feed his fish and needed to go home. In reality he had fed them that morning and he had a neighbor who would check in on them if he was working late. He just needed to get away. He had stopped at the diner Gibbs always went to. The one he had met Jack at a couple of times. The waitresses had offered him almost everything on the menu but he felt to sick to eat. Not to mention if he smelled like food he'd probably get forced down to cleaning Abby's lab and the morgue. While McGee was left in charge. So he just had a cup of coffee and ordered one to go. Before heading back to NCIS. When he got back to the squad room he stopped dead in his tracks.

"What are you doing at Boss' desk Probie?" Tony asked.

"My computer broke and they can't fix it until Monday. Gibbs won't be back until after the funeral and you were still working at your desk." McGee explained.

"I just don't feel in charge ya know?" Tony asked.

"Why? We have a case and Gibbs said he wasn't coming back until after the funeral. If it were just him he would have stayed but he has to think of Mica." McGee explained.

"I miss Jack, McGeek." Tony confessed.

"I do too but he is with Gibbs' mom and Shannon and Kelly." McGee replied.

"How do you think Boss and The Gibblet are holding up?" Tony asked.

"I am sure they are hurting but they are both strong." McGee replied.

"When are you heading up to Stillwater?" Tony asked.

"Vance is giving us a few days off to go to the funeral and support Gibbs." McGee explained.

"I guess we leave after we wrap the case. Hope it's soon." Tony replied.

"It should be." McGee assured.

* * *

Erica lay on the floor of her room. She heard Kayla giggling and talking on the phone with one of her girlfriends. Across the hall Jared was playing video games. She was just staring at the ceiling wondering what was going on with her best friends. First Mica had left school early and now her dad wasn't answering her phone. Then she had been playing at Gracie's and Gracie had gone to try to call Mica. She was gone for ages and when she finally came back Mrs. Hollis told Erica that Gracie wasn't feeling well and that she had already called Jackie. Erica knew that Mr. Hollis was pretty good friends with Mr. Gibbs slightly better than he did with her dad. Partly because her dad was the director of NCIS and partly because Mr. Hollis and Mr. Gibbs had been probies together. Maybe something really had happened to Mr. Gibbs. Her fears only got bigger when she heard her dad get home. From down the hall she heard her mom gasp and then her dad came in to talk to her. From the look on his face she knew it wasn't to lecture about her behavior in school. It was to give her bad news.

"Hi daddy!" Erica cried.

"Hi sweetie. I have some bad news about your friend Mica." Vance replied.

"What's wrong did something happen to Mr. Gibbs?" Erica asked.

"Mr. Gibbs is OK but her grandfather Jackson died this afternoon." Vance explained.

"Oh no are they OK?" Erica asked she had only met Jack a couple of times but she had really liked him.

"I talked to Mr. Gibbs a couple of hours ago. They are both pretty upset but they will be OK. The funeral is Tuesday afternoon." Vance explained.

"Does this mean we have to go dress shopping?" Erica asked.

"I think Kayla has an old dress you can wear." Vance replied.

"Are we all going?" Erica asked.

"Well Kayla has finals that day and Jared has never been fond of funerals. So it may just be you and me. Your mom can't go if there is nobody to mind Jared and Kayla" Vance explained.

"OK" Erica replied.

* * *

Gracie looked out her bedroom window. The storm had blown past pretty quickly but it had rained off and on ever since. Right now rain hitting the porch and pool area. Suddenly a flash of lightning and clap of thunder caused the sky to light up and the power to blink. Normally she loved thunder storms especially the ones late at night but tonight was different. Erica had called her and told her that Mica's grandfather had died and her parents conversation had really hurt her feelings. Her dad wanted to kill the director and take his job. She had felt numb ever since. Too make things worse her parents had caused her eavesdropping and made her swear never to tell anyone. Because if she did then she and her dad would go to jail and their would be nowhere for Gracie to go. So she would end up in foster care until she was all grown-up. Then they had lied and said that Gracie wasn't feeling well and sent Erica home. Now she wished that one of her friends was around. From down the hall she heard her parents talking again. Not wanting to hear anymore she covered her ears with the pillow and closed her eyes. Gracie knew that she needed to tell but she was afraid of when would happen if she did. So she nodded and agreed to keep her parents evil plan a secret.

"What do I do now?" Gracie sobbed wishing that she could tell Mica or Erica or anyone really.

* * *

**A/N: If you don't like Lori don't worry she will get more likeable. Somebody in the Vance family will die but not necessarily Leon and definitely not Erica. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	5. Stillwater Secrets

Mica glared at the black dress that hung on the closet door. Today was Jack's funeral. In just a few short hours they would be burying her grandfather. The last living relative on her dad's side. She still could not believe that Jack was gone. She was two when a case brought her dad to his hometown and he patched things up with him. After that they went up to Stillwater a few times a year. Before her mom died she would take her every month or so. Even though she didn't remember exactly what happened. Mica was still terrified to go into the store because her mom had died in there. All Mica remembered was hearing the gunshot and then her mother fell down and started bleeding. Her grandpa Jack had picked her up and taken her out of the store because her dad was in shock and couldn't move. Ever since that day she had been terrified to go into the store. At first she refused to go in at all but over time she got to where she could go inside. She just couldn't be alone. Now she would probably never go in the store again. She and her dad had gone in there the first day they were in Stillwater and they had met the kid who worked for her Grandpa Jack. Her dad had run down there a few hours before to help get the store cleaned and ready to be sold. For a while after her dad and Jack had reconciled they had talked about her dad taking over the store when Jack died or retired but her dad was happy as an agent. So he had decided to sell it. She was actually relieved because the idea of having to go to the store every day. Scared the hell out of her and besides she didn't want to leave Erica and Gracie. The kids in Stillwater were nice enough but they weren't her best friends. She heard Katherine crying in the next room. She was sharing a room with Lori. Actually it had been Lori's room when Jack was alive. So she got the twin bed while Mica was forced to sleep on the air old stinky air-bed that had been in Jack's basement since forever. As if that wasn't bad enough Lori was like a Neatness Nazi. Mica had always been pretty organized when she cleaned her room but for the most part she would just drop socks on the floor and just toss her clothes in the drawers. Lori on the other hand had to have everything perfect and tidy all the time. Seriously the room looked like one of the Obama girls was coming over for a play-date or something. Everything was perfectly organized all the clothes were neatly folded in the drawers, all her toys were in the chest or on shelves, the book shelf looked more like a library then a bookshelf in an eight year old's bedroom. When Mica tossed her overnight bag on the floor. Lori had yelled at her to put it in the closet but even that wasn't neat enough. Finally she had just stormed downstairs and complained to her dad. Who told her to just calm down because Lori was having a hard day as well. At least after today they would be heading back to DC and there were four bedrooms at her house.

"Are you girls ready to go?" Gibbs asked from the doorway. He was wearing his black suit and holding Katie who was in a Navy blue dress.

"Almost" Lori said coming out of the bathroom in a black top with a red skirt.

"The funeral isn't for another three hours." Mica commented.

"We have to get there early to help set up and talk to the priest." Gibbs explained.

"Oh" Mica replied.

"Don't you ever pay attention? We talked about it last night!" Lori snapped waving her arms around like a mental patient.

"I knew we had to get there early. Just not this early." Mica groaned.

"Well you best hurry up or you won't go at all!" Lori snapped.

"Mallory she is going it is her grandfather's funeral after all and Michaela you do need to hurry and it wouldn't hurt if you paid more attention." Gibbs explained.

"Yes sir." Lori replied.

"Alright daddy." Mica added.

* * *

Gracie didn't make a sound the whole drive up to Stillwater. In fact she had barely spoken since Friday night. She really wished that Mica had been there when she heard her parents talking. Mica always knew what to do. To make things worse when she asked if Erica could come over Saturday afternoon. Her parents had told her that they didn't want "That little *beep*" coming over anymore. Now her parents were driving her to Jackson Gibbs' funeral as if nothing was going on. As if they weren't planning something evil. She saw a sign out the window that read "Welcome to Stillwater". Less than five minutes later they were at the church. Mica wasn't kidding it was a small town. Her dad parked on the road and the family got out. Her mom kept checking her make-up and her dad put on a phony frown. Pretending like he hadn't been grinning like an idiot since he started talking about his evil plan. They sat down together in the front of the church right behind where the area reserved for family. Her dad was complaining under his breath about Gibbs's team, Abby, and Ducky being allowed to sit with the family. Gracie looked around but didn't see Erica or her family anywhere. The service started they sang a few songs and read passages from the bible. Then Gibbs made a speech and they sang a few mote songs and the service was over. While her parents mingled with a the other adults from NCIS at the reception. Gracie went to find Mica and hopefully Erica as well. Instead she found Mica looking at an old photo of her grandfather.

"Hi" Gracie said softly.

"Oh hi Gracie." Mica greeted.

"I am sorry about your grandpa Jack." Gracie replied.

"Thanks" Mica replied.

"How are you doing?" Gracie asked.

"I am really sad and a little mad." Mica replied.

"I heard that some people get mad when somebody they care about dies." Gracie commented.

"No I am mad because Jack had two foster kids and my dad is adopting them." Mica explained.

"Oh" Gracie replied.

"The younger one is OK but the older one is a Miss. Perfect even worse than how Erica thinks that we are." Mica explained.

"Yikes" Gracie replied.

"Yeah" Mica replied.

"Where is Erica by the way?" Gracie asked.

"Mrs. Vance wasn't feeling well again. So Mr. Vance had to stay home and take care of her and make sure the kids do their homework and stuff." Mica explained.

"Mrs. Vance has been getting sick a lot lately. Maybe she is pregnant." Gracie observed.

"No remember when Erica wanted a baby brother she told us that she had a special surgery and couldn't have anymore babies." Mica explained.

"Oh yeah." Gracie replied.

* * *

Erica ran her fingers over the engraving on the photo album _"Erica Destiny Vance: The Early Years" _Every year at the end of the school year Mrs. Wiggins had each student bring in a baby picture. She would set them on the back table for everybody to look at and they would have to guess who was who Whoever got the most correct got a special prize. Erica had never really seen her baby pictures until now but she had seen Jared and Kayla's plenty of times and knew exactly where her parents kept everything. She thumbed through the album the first picture of her was when she was two hours old. After that there were a few in the hospital and then one every month on the fifteenth since she was born November fifteenth. That was supposed to go until she was a year old. Because that's how her parents had done it with the other two. There were a few extra pictures of the first six months of her life and then they stopped. Until she was two. She knew that because she was sitting in the living room of the house she lived in now with a stack of boxes behind her.

"Hey Eric what are you looking at?" Jared asked as he passed by with his basketball.

"The photo album from when I was a baby." Erica replied.

"Oh" Jared replied.

"Why aren't there any pictures of me for so long?" Erica asked.

"Oh uh I guess dad just forgot because everything was really strange then." Jared replied.

"What do you mean and why wasn't mom taking the pictures?" Erica asked.

"Mom and dad never told you?" Jared asked.

"Never told me what?" Erica questioned.

"When you were six months old mom got sick really sick." Jared explained.

* * *

**A/N: What was wrong with Jackie when Erica was little and what does it have to do with why the Vance family missed Jack's funeral? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	6. Talks

The only positive thing Mica saw in her current situation was that she was finally going home. She was going home with Tony but she was going home. Her dad, her own father was staying behind in Stillwater. So Lori could finish her last week of school. It was as if she didn't exist anymore. She was just Mica and her dad loved Lori more. At least Tony still seemed to like her or he was just being Tony and putting a fake smile on his face. Maybe he could adopt her when her dad officially decided that he didn't want her anymore. She remembered wondering what it would be like to have no family left when they were first driving up to Stillwater. Now she felt like she knew because her grandfather was dead and her dad had forgotten about her.

"Hey you OK Gibblet?" Tony asked.

"Yeah" Mica lied.

"I know when you are lying to me." Tony warned.

"My dad doesn't love me anymore." Mica mumbled.

"What did you say?" Tony asked.

"My dad doesn't love me anymore!" Mica snapped.

"What makes you think that?" Tony asked.

"He's staying in Stillwater with Lori instead of coming home with me!" Mica cried.

"It's just for a few days so that she can finish school." Tony explained.

"Why couldn't he just transfer Lori to my school for the last week and a half?" Mica asked.

"It wouldn't make sense to start a new school for five days besides he still has some stuff to deal with related to your grandpa's estate." Tony explained.

"Yeah right! He just likes Lori more than me!" Mica scoffed.

"I take it you don't like the new tweenage Gibblet very much." Tony commented.

"No" Mica replied.

"OK Ginger Gibblet I am going to tell you something I have never told anybody else before but you have to promise never to tell anyone. Especially your dad." Tony replied.

"You know the rules." Mica replied.

"My dad is getting married next month." Tony replied.

"Yeah so?" Mica questioned.

"Well along with my latest step-mom. I am getting a new step-sister and she is having a son not long after the wedding. Which means I will have a nephew." Tony explained.

"Yeah so?" Mica asked.

"She is going to name him Anthony and my dad is talking about training him to take over the company one day." Tony explained.

"I thought you never wanted to be a business man?" Mica questioned.

"I don't but I feel like I am being I don't know replaced." Tony explained.

"Same here" Mica replied.

"Here's the thing about Gibbs though. He has a heart bigger than anyone else I know and he loves all his children. You, me, Abby, McGee, Bishop, Ziva, and the ones in heaven Kelly and Kate. We are all special to him. The only thing that will change with Lori and Katie being his children will be you having two sisters who live with you and he just loves two more people." Tony explained.

"How do you know?" Mica asked.

"Because seven years ago he had a baby. A little girl who was his genetically and I was convinced that he would stop treating his team as a family but he didn't." Tony explained.

* * *

Gracie sat on the edge of her pool with her feet in the water. She wasn't allowed to be out by the pool alone especially at night but at this point she didn't care. She was really worried about Erica and her family. When she got home from Stillwater with her parents she had tried to call Erica. When she didn't answer she tried to call Mrs. Vance, then Jared, then Kayla, and finally Mr. Vance but none of them answered. She was so worried the hit-man had already killed Mr. Vance. That she even watched the evening news instead of the rerun of "Modern Family" that was on. They hadn't said anything but that only made her worry more. What if something was really wrong with Mrs. Vance and she died? Who would take care of Erica, Jared, and Kayla then?

"Gracie Hollis what are you doing by that pool alone?" A voice called.

"Nothing Jimmy! Hey what are you doing out here?" Gracie asked.

"Breena's sister lives out here. I was just out for a walk." Jimmy replied.

"How are you guys doing?" Gracie asked.

"Better we have a meeting with a potential birth mother tomorrow." Jimmy replied.

"I hope it works out better this time." Gracie replied.

"Me too. Poor Breena wants kids so bad." Jimmy replied.

"Have you tried having kids of your own?" Gracie asked.

"We have thought about it and we won't mind if it happens but unfortunately Breena has some problems and she could get really sick if she gets pregnant." Jimmy explained

"Oh well then I hope you guys can adopt." Gracie replied.

"Me too. Hey are you alright?" Jimmy asked.

"Not really" Gracie admitted.

"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked.

"I can't tell you now." Gracie replied.

"Well maybe you can come visit Breena and I this weekend. Her brother is bringing her nephew down maybe you can hangout with him." Jimmy explained.

"I'll talk to my mom and dad." Gracie replied.

* * *

Erica closed her eyes even though she knew that sleep would be a futile effort tonight. Jared's words were echoing in her ears. She could not believe her parents had never told her that her mom had, had cancer. She had gone into remission not long before they moved from California and they had started their life anew in Washington DC. Of course they told their close friends and her dad's co-workers but her dad wanted to focus on his new job and her mom just wanted to forget she was sick. Jared and Kayla felt the same way as their mom and before they knew it they had started their new lives and never thought to tell their youngest child that her mother had cancer or that she had been a school teacher in California. According to Jared she went back to work when Erica was three months old. About a month later she came down with a nasty virus or so she thought. She couldn't shake it but didn't think too much of it. She had a new baby, two little kids, worked a high stress job, and had a husband whose life was constantly in danger. Then she just collapsed at the fifth grade graduation ceremony. She was rushed to the hospital and the tests came back positive for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She got really sick and almost died several times but miraculously survived. She had been in remission ever since but now Jared was convinced that it was back.

"You OK?" Jared asked from the doorway.

"No" Erica replied.

"You worried about mom?" Jared asked.

"Yes" Erica replied.

"I may be wrong but I did hear her and dad talking about tests and the hospital." Jared explained.

"Does Kayla know?" Erica asked.

"Yes but she hates talking about it. I guess mom being sick the first time affected her more because she is the oldest." Jared replied.

"I wish somebody had told me." Erica sighed.

"I honestly thought you knew or I would have told you years ago." Jared explained.

"Should I tell mom I know?" Erica asked.

"If she or dad bring it up but if not don't say anything." Jared explained.

"OK thanks" Erica replied.

"You going to be able to sleep now?" Jared asked.

"I think so." Erica replied.

* * *

**A/N: Did her talk with Tony help Mica any? Will Gracie be able to tell Jimmy? Is Jackie's cancer back? If so will she survive? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	7. Major Fights

Screams echoed throughout the Hollis house. Gracie lie on her bed, her brown hair sprayed out across her red and purple pillow-case. She blinked her eyes open, rolled over, and looked at the alarm clock beside her bed. The red LED lights read 03:15am. Her dad sometimes woke up this early if his team caught a case but her mom was never up before seven. She perked her ears and flared her nostrils, expecting to smell smoke and hear the fire alarm but there was nothing. She rolled to the other side and faced the window. It was storming and raining a little hard but the weather was far from severe and the screams were only coming from her parents. So nobody had broken into the house. Her concern growing, she pulled herself out of bed, walked out of her room, and made her way down the hall. Her parents were in the kitchen her mom had her hands firmly planted on the island counter and her dad was waving his arms like a lunatic.

"I should have known ten thousand was too good for a hit!" Mrs. Hollis railed.

"It has nothing to do with the cost!" Mr. Hollis snapped.

"Then what?! What happened?!" Mrs. Hollis snapped.

"I don't know! Agent DiNozzo just happened to see something in the bushes and managed to get the shot in first!" Mr. Hollis snapped.

"Oh yeah the biggest suck-up in NCIS history just happens to be around the director when the hit is supposed to take place?! Awfully suspicious! I think that you chickened out and tipped off Tony! You always were a coward!" Mrs. Hollis accused.

"I would never! Hell if I had known that DiNozzo would have been there when the hit took place I would have paid for two!" Mr. Hollis argued.

"Bullshit! Well you have two options Dan! Either you hire another hit man and make sure this one actually kills that bastard or I leave!" Mrs. Hollis threatened.

"I suppose that you'll threaten to take Gracie too?!" Mr. Hollis yelled.

"Hell no! You keep that little mistake! It was your cheap condoms that got her here! I distinctly remember saying I didn't want kids!" Mrs. Hollis shouted.

"If you were so insistent on not having kids than why the hell were you not on birth-control?! I mean really?!" Mr. Hollis barked.

"Just do what I say!" Mrs. Hollis orders.

"I am the one who wanted that damn job!" Mr. Hollis shot back.

* * *

Mica sat on the floor of Tony's apartment. It was Saturday and her dad was finally coming back from Stillwater. Even if he was bringing her with him. He was still coming home. She loved staying with Tony. He let her eat cold pizza for breakfast and stay up past her bedtime watching Netflix. Both were extremely rare for school days and nights anyway in her house but she missed her dad. She hated being apart from him. Even when he worked long cases or had to travel. It was rare they were apart more than a couple of days. Not to mention she missed sleeping in her own room on her own bed. The main thing she wanted though. Was her dad back. So she would at least have somebody she cared about back in her life. It seemed like everybody had abandoned her since Jack died. When she found out her dad was abandoning her for Lori. She was hoping that her best friends would get her through but they seemed to have moved on from her too. Well to be fair Mrs. Vance was apparently really sick. Because Mr. Vance had taken time off from work and he was picking Erica and her siblings up from school everyday. She had called Erica a couple of times but she said her mom was too sick to have guests and her dad didn't want to leave long enough to drive her over to Tony's place. She had gone over to Gracie's on Thursday but Gracie was really quiet and only wanted to stay in her room.

"Good news Gibblet. I just got off the phone with Papa Bear Gibbs. He is leaving Stillwater and will be here to get you around noon." Tony said as he entered the room,

"Good" Mica replied.

"Aw you not going to miss your big brother Tony?" Tony asked feigning sadness.

"I will miss you Tony but I miss home even more." Mica replied.

"Believe me I understand." Tony replied.

* * *

Jimmy came home from the grocery store around two on Saturday afternoon. They had met with the latest potential birth mother the day before. She had met with another couple later in the afternoon and several before but the Palmer's were sure she would pick them. She had said that she would call with her decision around one the next day. So when Breena realized they had no food left in the house. Jimmy had volunteered to make the trip to the store. He walked into the house and set the groceries on the kitchen table. He heard crying coming from the master bedroom and pretty much knew right away what had happened. He ran down the hall to the room he shared with Breena and flung the door open.

"Breena?" Jimmy questioned.

"Oh Jimmy." Breena sobbed.

"Did she call back?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes" Breena replied.

"What did she say?" Jimmy questioned.

"She is going with a couple she talked with last week." Breena sniffed.

"Oh Breena I am so sorry." Jimmy replied.

"Will it ever happen for us? Will we ever get a baby?" Breena asked.

"Of course it will." Jimmy assured.

"This is the third time we have had our hopes dashed." Breena sobbed.

"I know but they said it could take years." Jimmy offered.

"I know but I want a baby now or soon." Breena replied.

"Do you want to start trying for our own?" Jimmy asked.

"I don't know. It is too high risk. Maybe we should consider adopting an older kid." Breena replied.

"Is that what you want?" Jimmy asked.

"Yes" Breena replied.

"I will call our lawyer Monday." Jimmy promised.

* * *

After spending eight days in Stillwater. Gibbs was relieved to be back in his home. He had missed his baby girl so much the four days they were apart. He felt bad for sending her back to DC with Tony but he wanted Lori to finish the school year. She had changed schools so many times over the past year. Her life was like that of G. Callen, before moving in with Jack. In the sense that she was moved almost every other week. He was more than willing to spare her and her baby sister Katie from that. Even though Mica didn't seem to get along with her very much. They would outgrow that wouldn't they? Saturday night he had made Macaroni and Cheese for dinner. Since it had always been Mica's favorite. Not knowing that Lori hated macaroni. The girls had argued ever since. He had tried to stop it but finally put Katie in her crib, grabbed the baby monitor and walked down to the basement. He heard the front door slam shut and started up the stairs thinking out of the girls had stormed out. Then he heard heavy footsteps above him. Too loud to be even an angry child. He shrugged his shoulders and walked back down the stairs.

"Trouble in paradise eh?" Leon asked.

"They have argued for hours." Gibbs replied.

"I know how that is. Jared almost never fights with either of the girls but there are days that Kayla and Erica make Israel and Gaza look like best friends." Vance joked.

"How do you and Jackie deal?" Gibbs asked.

"Well as long as we don't hear gunshots. We just let them work it out." Vance replied.

"Why are you here Leon?" Gibbs asked.

"What do you mean?" Vance asked.

"I know you didn't just come here to talk about kids fighting." Gibbs replied.

"You remember that Jackie had cancer before I became director?" Vance asked.

"Yeah why?" Gibbs asked.

"She started feeling tired all the time. We all had the flu but Jackie wasn't getting better. We both tried to deny it but finally she could barely get out of bed Tuesday. By that night I was carrying her to the bathroom. I left the kids with the neighbors and rushed her to the hospital. We got the test results back yesterday and it's back and it's spread already." Vance explained forcing back tears.

"Oh Leon I am so sorry." Gibbs apologized.

"I don't know what I am going to do." Vance sobbed.

"Do the kids know?" Gibbs asked.

"Not yet but Jackie wants to tell them in the morning. It was so hard on Jared and Kayla the first time, that Jackie and I never even told Erica." Vance explained.

"Just be honest with them." Gibbs replied.

* * *

**A/N: I didn't even know they were going to give Vance a cancer scare when I came up with the plot. I hate to say it but I am worse than Gary Glassberg. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading**.


	8. Exposed

Mica slammed the door to her room. She hated Lori, she absolutely hated her. She was sick of her new sister acting like she owned the world and her dad always taking her side. She wished that she wasn't in trouble and could call Gracie or Erica but her dad told her to stay in her room until he was done talking to Lori. She wondered what was going on with her dad. The night before when she was fighting with Lori. Mr. Vance had come over and talked to her dad down in the basement. After his talk with Erica's dad, Gibbs seemed upset and was acting like something was wrong. Mica was wondering if it had something to do with Mrs. Vance being sick all the time lately.

"Michaela are you ready to talk?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir" Mica replied.

"You mind telling me what is going on with you and Lori?" Gibbs asked.

"I hate her dad! I hate her!" Mica cried.

"Why do you hate her?" Gibbs asked.

"Because she is such a Miss. Perfect and you like her better than me!" Mica cried.

"What makes you think that I like her better than you?" Gibbs asked.

"You always give her what she wants!" Mica snapped.

"Give me one example?" Gibbs ordered.

"Well last night she got so upset about the Mac and Cheese that you gave all the left overs to Mr. Vance and his family after he came over and now we "have to have chicken salad wraps! I hate chicken salad!" Mica explained.

"I know you don't like chicken salad but it is good for you and..." Gibbs started.

"And what?! Lori ate the macaroni last night like a good girl?!" Mica demanded.

"Actually I didn't give the macaroni away because of Lori. I was planning on having the leftovers with the wraps. I like chicken salad OK but it isn't filling enough for me and I need a lot of carbs if I want to get all the bad guys." Gibbs explained.

"Then why did you give it to Mr. Vance?" Mica questioned.

"Because Mr. Vance has been going through a hard time lately and is very worried. He forgot to go to the grocery store and he didn't have anything to give to his kids for dinner tonight." Gibbs explained.

"Look this has to stay between us until I am sure that Erica, Jared, and Kayla know and even then it is Erica's news to share so don't go spreading it around. Can you promise me that?" Gibbs asked.

"What's going on daddy?" Mica asked.

"Mr. Vance came over to talk to me last night and well do you remember how Mrs. Vance has been feeling bad lately?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir" Mica replied.

"This is going to be hard for you to hear and it may be hard to understand." Gibbs replied.

"Dad you're scaring me." Mica squeaked.

"Mica, Mrs. Vance has cancer." Gibbs replied.

"Is she going to get better?" Mica asked.

"I don't know, Mica." Gibbs replied.

"Is she in the hospital?" Mica asked.

"She is at home but she is going to be in the hospital a few days a week for chemo. When she has her chemo and Mrs. Hollis is busy. You girls will have to go to daycare." Gibbs explained.

"Daycare? I have never been to daycare!" Mica cried.

"I know but I don't have any choice." Gibbs sighed.

"Can't Mrs. Palmer watch us?" Mica asked.

"I don't know if it were just the three of you but I have to think of Lori and Katie." Gibbs replied.

"Lori ruins everything!" Mica snapped.

"In Lori's defense Mrs. Palmer is very busy with the adoption process and you will only have to daycare two or three days a week." Gibbs explained.

"I guess you're right." Mica sighed.

"Good now do you promise to try to be nicer to Lori?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir." Mica replied.

"That's what I like to hear. Now before I go do you have anymore questions?" Gibbs asked.

"Can we go and see Mrs. Vance when she has her chemo?" Mica asked.

"They only allow adults in the chemo ward unless you are family or having treatment yourself but as long as she feels well you can go and visit her at home and she will always appreciate get well cards and letters. Handwritten letters no emails." Gibbs explained.

"I think I can do that." Mica replied.

"That's my girl." Gibbs replied tousling Mica's hair.

"What about Erica what can I do for her?" Mica asked.

"Just be there and make sure she knows that you care." Gibbs replied

* * *

Things were not much better at the Hollis house. Gracie was still badly shaken by the fight she had overheard her parents having the morning before. She was hurt enough by her parents not caring about themselves and her dad's career more than Mr. Vance but to find out they didn't care about or even want her. That one really hurt. To make things worse knew that if she said anything her parents would threaten her again. She wished that she had the courage to tell Jimmy when she was over at his house the previous weekend but when he asked her what was bothering her. She just froze. Jimmy had been nice enough to give her his phone number so that if he ever needed to talk he was there. She asked to borrow her mom's phone. Once she had it in her hands she slinked back to her room, pulled the slip of paper with Jimmy's number out of her back-pack and punched the numbers into the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jimmy it's me."

"Gracie? What's going on are you ready to tell me what happened?"

"No but I heard my parents fighting the other day."

"That' always hard what were they fighting about?"

"Never-mind I am sorry for wasting your time."

* * *

Erica shifted nervously on the couch. Her parents had called an emergency family meeting. To her left side Kayla was texting her friend Lindsey. Being fifteen she hated anything that forced her to cancel plans with friends. To her right Jared was slumped over the side of the couch. He was thirteen and old enough to know that an emergency family meeting was never a good thing. Especially on a Sunday afternoon. Erica was just worried that she was in trouble for her grades again. After what felt like a century. Her parents finally came into the room. Her mom moved slowly and kind of fell into a chair. While her dad remained standing with a grim look on his face.

"Kids as you know your mother never got over her flu this year and I had to take her to the ER earlier in the week. Well they ran some tests and well Jared, Kayla I hate to tell you this and Erica I hate that you have to find out this way but your mom's cancer is back." Vance explained.

"Are you going to do chemo or radiation? Who is her doctor?" Kayla asked.

"Radiation and chemo and I am seeing Dr. Chester." Jackie explained.

"Is is the same as last time?" Kayla questioned.

"It is non-hodgkins lymphoma unfortunately it has spread." Vance explained.

"Where?" Kayla asked.

"They found it in her heart and kidneys." Vance explained.

"What are her chances?" Kayla asked/

"Twenty-five percent" Vance explained.

"I am so sorry." Kayla replied.

"Erica sweetie how do you feel about this? Do you remember her being sick the first time at all? You were only six months old when she got sick and two when she finally achieved remission. I am sorry that we never told you." Vance asked.

"No but Jared told me a last week. He suspected you were sick again." Erica replied.

"Is this true?" Vance asked.

"Why didn't you tell her?!" Jared demanded.

"We didn't want to upset her. It hurt you and Kayla so much when she got sick the first time. We were hoping this would protect her." Vance explained.

"Well it was mean! What if mom had died before she got diagnosed again or before we had a chance to tell Erica! Don't try to protect our feelings!" Jared snapped jumping off the couch and storming out the front door.

"Jared wait!" Vance called chasing after his son but he was already gone.

* * *

**A/N: Will Mica ever get along with Lori? Where did Jared go? Will he be able to forgive his parents. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	9. Thoughts

Mica lie on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Tomorrow was her first day of daycare. It was also Mrs. Vance's first day of chemo therapy. She guessed she couldn't really complain about her predicament. Since her best friend could be about to lose her mom. As if the Vance family weren't going through enough Jared had disappeared two days earlier. As much as Mica disliked Lori. She would be really hurt if she disappeared. As for her and Lori. They still weren't best friends but they were trying harder to get along. Since Gibbs had talked with the two of them. Summer vacation was starting in two days and Mica wondered how the summer was going to be like. With Mrs. Vance sick and having to go to daycare. At least she would be going to summer camp at the special camp for the children of NCIS agents. Lori was going to but she was already eight. So she would be in a separate group from her. Even with all the changes Mica was going to miss going to Stillwater most of all. She was going to miss spending her days helping Jack out in the store. The store was closed on Sundays and once or twice that week Jack would close the store for the afternoon and take her either to the swimming hole and taking her around to the places where her dad used to hang out at when he was growing up. The week she spent in Stillwater was always the best of the summer. It was going to be weird knowing that she would never go to Stillwater to see her grandpa Jack again. His grave didn't count as visiting him. Since a grave couldn't have any fun with her. She actually felt a little bad for Lori never getting to have the summers she had. Though she was also glad she didn't have to share those memories with Lori. It was nice to have special memories of just her and her grandpa Jack. He always had been her favorite person in the world and now he was just gone and all she had to remember him by was two foster sisters. One of whom drove her crazy.

"Mica it's time to go to sleep you have school in the morning." Gibbs called.

"Will Erica be there tomorrow?" Mica asked.

"I don't know Jared is still missing and her mom has chemo. I think she and Kayla will be out the last couple of days." Gibbs explained.

"Oh" Mica replied.

"You will see Gracie at daycare though." Gibbs assured.

"I know." Mica replied.

"Is something wrong?" Gibbs asked.

"I miss grandpa Jack." Mica admitted.

"I know you do. I do too." Gibbs confessed.

"Do you remember your grandfather?" Mica asked.

"Well your grandma Ann's parents had both died before I was born." Gibbs explained.

"Did her mom die when she was a kid too? Is it a curse?" Mica asked.

"Great Grandma May Belle died when your grandma Ann was nineteen. I wouldn't say we are cursed we just have bad luck. As for your great-grandpa Lou he died when grandma Ann was not much older than you were when your mom died." Gibbs explained.

"What about grandpa Jack's parents?" Mica asked.

"Your great-grandma Beatrice died when I was tiny less than a year old and your grandpa Frank died when I was seven. Just like your grandpa Jack." Gibbs explained.

"Did you know him well?" Mica asked.

"He lived with us for a while but he was pretty out of it but when I was really little we were pretty close." Gibbs explained.

"I am glad I got to know grandpa Jack." Mica replied.

"Me too." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Gracie bolted up in bed. She had just had a dream that her parents hit on Mr. Vance was successful and then Mrs. Vance died from her cancer. She was running down the street after the car that was taking Erica and her sister and brother away to a foster home. Just before she woke up the social worker told her that she would never see Erica again and she should be in jail for letting her parents do such a horrible thing. She jumped out of bed and ran up the hall to her parents room.

"Gracie what is it?" Mrs. Hollis asked.

"You can't do it! I have to tell!" Gracie cried.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Hollis asked.

"You can't kill Mr. Vance! I am going to tell!" Gracie explained.

"No you are not!" Mrs. Hollis snapped.

"What are you going to do?" Gracie asked.

"Make sure you can't!" Mr. Hollis snapped.

* * *

Erica looked out the window it was early morning and she should be getting ready for school but her parents were keeping her home. Her mom was in the hospital having chemo and her brother Jared had been missing for two whole days. He had gotten upset and ran away when he found out their mom was sick again. Her dad had gone after him but it was already too late. The first day they seemed to be two steps behind him. They would get a call that he was at a restaurant or had been seen with a friend but by the time they got there. He was long since gone.

"Erica wake up!" Kayla called.

"But we aren't going to school!" Mica groaned,

"I know but Mr. King is going to pick us up." Kayla explained.

"Grandpa King?" Erica asked.

"Yeah he is going to watch us." Kayla replied.

"I love him! He is my favorite sitter besides Tony!" Erica cried.

* * *

Neither one of the LEO's wanted to be at this particular crime scene. It had turned into an extremely hot afternoon but the main reason they didn't want to be at this scene. It was a child a murdered child. To add to the tragedy. The body was found by a young mother walking with her two small children.

"What we got?" Officer Rogers asked.

"African-American male roughly thirteen year old." Officer Meyers replied.

"You think this is the NCIS director's missing boy?" Officer Rogers asked.

"I don't know but I sure hope not. That family has already been through more than enough tragedy and heart-break." Officer Meyers replied.

"So do I but he does fit Jared's description almost perfectly." Officer Meyers sighed.

* * *

**A/N: Is the murdered boy Jared or is it a mistake? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	10. Longest Afternoon

Gibbs looked at his watch it was almost three. He had promised himself that if they didn't catch a case he would leave early and pick Mica up from daycare early. He knew that Mica was miserable about having to go daycare. She thought he didn't care but he hated having to send her off to daycare. Jackie Vance and Eliza Hollis her whole life. When Ali was still alive she had been part of the child-care rotation and after she died Gibbs was relieved to have people he knew and trusted to care for Mica. Now however he had no choice. He couldn't expect Jackie to watch the kids even on days she didn't have chemo. She was going to be so tired and weak, he couldn't expect her to chase after four active kids and a toddler. At least Eliza was still able to take them every other day. Mica had been through so much change already he wanted to keep as much normal in her life as possible. He looked at his watch again and then turned his attention back to his computer. He was just starting to get back to work when the elevator doors slid open and Ducky walked into the squad room. Gibbs could tell by the somber look on the older man's face that something was very wrong.

"Jethro may I speak with you privately?" Ducky asked.

"Of course, Tony, McGee, Bishop behave yourselves. I will be back in a few minutes." Gibbs replied.

* * *

"What is it Duck?" Gibbs asked once the two were alone in the elevator.

"I have some troubling news. Mr. Palmer and I are preparing to receive the body of a thirteen year old boy. Who is more likely than not Jared Vance." Ducky explained.

"Oh God, does Leon know?" Gibbs asked.

"No I was hoping that you could break the news." Ducky replied.

"Yeah of course Duck." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Leon Vance reentered his wife's hospital room. She should be finishing her first round of chemo any moment now. He was dreading seeing her as sick as she was going to be later. When she went through chemo seven years ago. She was completely miserable. She couldn't even get out of bed most days. The drugs they were using on her this time were even stronger. Things were only made worse by the fact that Jared had disappeared two days before and it was all his fault. Jared was right he handled Jackie's illness poorly and it was wrong of them not to tell Erica about her mother's first bout with cancer. He noticed Jackie was sitting up talking on the phone by her bed.

"Leon" Jackie called.

"What is it, honey?" Vance asked.

"It's Jethro, he won't tell me what is wrong." Jackie replied.

"Hold on" Vance replied walking over to his wife's side.

"OK Jethro I am putting Leon, on." Jackie told Gibbs.

* * *

"Hello, Jethro? Is everything OK?"

"I didn't want to tell Jackie this Leon but they found a the body of a boy in Virginia and they think that it is Jared."

"What? No. why...why didn't they tell me?"

"They tried but you weren't answering your phone. So they were hoping NCIS could get a hold of you."

"I had to turn my phone off in the chemo room."

"How is Jackie doing?"

"Her session is almost up but she is going to be pretty sick in a few hours."

"Do you think she will take the news well?"

"No but I have to tell her now."

* * *

"What is it Leon?" Jackie asked after Vance hung up the phone.

"I missed the call because they don't allow cellphones in the chemo room and I was so distracted when I went for lunch. I forgot to check."

"Who called?"

"One of the precincts in Virginia they found a little boy. God, Jackie they think it's Jared." Vance explained tears were pouring down his cheeks.

"No not our baby." Jackie sobbed.

"When you are done I have to go to NCIS." Vance replied.

"I understand but Leon we have to tell the girls." Jackie replied.

"I know. I don't want to but I know." Vance replied tears falling down his cheeks.

* * *

Emotions were running high at NCIS Head Quarters. As soon as Jackie completed her chemo. Leon had rushed over with her to the Navy Yard. She was lying down on the flood behind Gibbs' desk. While Leon sat beside her on the floor. Gibbs had taken over Tony's desk and Tony had moved over to the little side desk without any argument. Nobody had any fight in them right now. Kayla and Erica were clinging to each other in the back corner. Neither could believe that their brother was probably dead. Not with their mom going through her second battle with cancer. Gibbs looked over at his friend. He knew all to well the pain of having a murdered child. He had already prayed to every deity he knew of that they would be proven wrong and the child wasn't Jared. Nobody should know the pain of losing a child but Leon was suffering enough lately. Gibbs knew that the director would beat himself to death emotionally if it turned out that the boy was Jared. It was his fault that Jared had gotten so angry and run off and now he could be dead. After an agonizing hour the elevator doors slid open and Ducky walked into the room followed by Jimmy. Gibbs, Leon, and Kayla all got up and walked over to the doctors.

"Whatcha got Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"I am happy to announce that the body of the young man brought into my morgue is not that of young Jared Vance." Ducky explained.

"Thank God!" Vance cried.

"That is wonderful." Gibbs added.

"So my brother is still alive?" Kayla asked hopefully.

"I hope not Kayla but he is still missing." Ducky replied.

* * *

**A/N: The boy isn't Jared so that's good news. Mica and her friends will be back in the next chapter. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	11. Reunions and New Friendships

Mica's feet dangled off the side of the picnic table. It was past time to go home and her dad still hadn't arrived. It was just her, Lori, two other girls, one boy, and baby Katie who was in the special baby room. Her first day of daycare had been a rough one. As it turned out all of the mean girls from her class were in this daycare. Erica wasn't there but her dad had told her he probably wouldn't be but she was still disappointed. Gracie was there but she was in her new strange mood. Her dad had told her that he may try to pick her up early if he didn't get a case. She knew he didn't have a case because if he had he would have called the center before he went into the field or sent somebody to pick Katie, Lori, and her up. To make things even worse Lori was miss popular.

"Where are you daddy?" Mica asked aloud.

"Aw does baby Mica miss her daddy?" Pamela one of her bullies teased.

"Well he could have been really hurt in the field! So yeah I am worried!" Mica snapped.

"If you ask me he would be better off dead! Than having you as a daughter." Pamela teased.

"SHUT-UP!" Mica snapped jumping from the table and shoving Pamela to the ground.

"I could sue you for assault!" Pamela cried.

"Michaela Ann Gibbs we do not push!" Mrs. Tucker warned.

"She was making fun of my dad." Mica replied.

"Is that true Pamela?" Mrs. Tucker asked.

"No but my dad is a physiologist and she is what he would call a pathological liar." Pamela explained.

"I live with her and she can be a bit of a psycho." Lori replied.

"I do not like what I am hearing Michaela. I want you to wait in the office until your father arrives. This is not good behavior for a first day." Mrs. Tucker explained.

* * *

Mica folded her arms across her chest. This had to be a false imprisonment. She hadn't done anything wrong Pamela was the bully and the liar and Lori just wanted to get her in trouble. When Mica was in trouble Lori was Miss. Perfect and the favorite of Gibbs. She looked up at the clock it was almost seven at night. Now she was really scared. What if her dad had been hurt in the field? No somebody would pick her up and take her to the hospital. She heard the door open and perked up expecting it to be her dad. Instead it was the boy who was waiting as well.

"Are you OK?" The boy asked.

"No I am really worried about my daddy." Mica replied.

"Why?" The boy asked.

"He is really late and he is never late." Mica replied.

"Maybe he just got caught up in a case and couldn't get to a phone to call and say that he was going to be late." The boy suggested.

"Maybe" Mica replied.

"Well I hope he is OK. Cause my dad really was killed on the job and it was really sad." The boy explained.

"I am sorry what happened to him?" Mica asked.

"He was one of the victims of the bombing." The boy replied.

"That was sad. I hated that, that happened." Mica replied.

"Me too even if my dad had survived I would hate it." The boy explained.

"I am Mica by the way what is your name?" Mica introduced.

"It is nice to meet you Miss. Gibbs." The boy replied.

"How did you know my last name?" Mica asked.

"You have his eyes and personality." The boy replied.

"I get that a lot." Mica replied.

"I bet you do. I am Shane by the way." Shane replied.

"Nice to meet you Shane." Mica replied.

* * *

"Michaela!" Gibbs barked from the doorway.

"Daddy! You're OK!" Mica cried.

"I am OK but I can't say I am happy with you. What is this hear about you pushing a girl down and arguing with her?" Gibbs demanded.

"She didn't shove her sir. They were arguing but then Mica got mad and was going to walk away. She jumped off the table and lost her footing. That's how she shoved into Pamela. It just looked like she pushed her." Shane fibbed.

"Is this true?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir." Mica agreed.

"Well then I am sorry I yelled at you but you do need to calm down a bit." Gibbs apologized.

"I won't sir." Mica vowed.

"Good now come on your sisters are waiting in the car." Gibbs replied ushering Mica into the hallway.

* * *

"Why were you late?" Mica asked as the exited the facility.

"I had to help your Uncle Leon with something." Gibbs replied.

"What?" Mica asked.

"They found the body of a teenage boy and they thought it was Jared Vance. Don't worry it wasn't him but he is still missing." Gibbs explained

"Oh well I am glad it wasn't Jared." Mica replied.

* * *

Jared Vance stood in his driveway. He just wanted to go home but he was afraid of what would happen if he came back. He had run away when his mom had cancer. That had to be one of the most cruel things a person could do. What if his parents disowned him? He knew that he would deserve it but that didn't make the idea any easier.

"Jared?" A small voice squealed.

"No Erica be quiet." Jared hissed.

"But Jared we thought you were dead!" Erica cried throwing herself into Jared's arms.

"Erica what are you talking about? Oh My God! Jared! Mom! Dad! Jared." Kayla cried.

"My baby boy!" Jackie gasped.

"Son? Oh Jared I love you so much I am sorry I hurt you. Please never run away again." Vance cried.

"I won't but aren't you guys mad?" Jared asked.

"We are to happy you are OK to be mad." Vance replied.

"I love you guys so much." Jared sobbed.

"We love you too Jared." Jackie, Leon, Kayla, and Erica replied in unison.

* * *

**A/N: Jared is back! What do you think of Shane? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	12. Daddy Gibbs

Mica went straight to her room when she got home. She was eternally grateful to Shane for covering for her. He knew that she had shoved Pamela but he still lied to protect her. She had just met him and he was already looking out for her. She knew that she had to thank him but how? She could get her dad to build him something but then he would know that he had lied and they would both be in trouble. Lori would love it if she got in trouble. She loved to see Mica get in trouble. Mica knew she hadn't exactly been welcoming and nice to Lori but she didn't think she deserved to be called "kind of a psycho". She wasn't a psycho. She was kind of moody but so was her dad and nobody dared called him a psycho. Tony did once as a joke, her dad head-slapped him so hard that Tony was rubbing the back of his head for a week and her dad liked Tony. She would have head-slapped Lori but that would have probably land her in prison for assault or something. She grabbed a magazine off of her desk and opened it as she fell onto her bed.

"Mica? Can I talk to you?" Gibbs asked from the doorway.

"Sure" Mica replied.

"I know that Shane was lying when he said that Pamela tripped." Gibbs replied.

"Of course you would take Lori's side! She is your Miss. Perfect!" Mica snapped.

"What makes you think that?" Gibbs asked.

"She called me a psycho dad! And you didn't do anything!" Mica cried.

"I didn't know that." Gibbs replied.

"She hates me and you don't care!" Mica yelled.

"Look I am going to talk to Lori about calling you a psycho but right now. I need to know why you shoved that girl. That is not like you. If something is wrong I need to know." Gibbs explained.

"You were late." Mica replied.

"I am late a lot what about that makes you want to push somebody?" Gibbs asked.

"I know but whenever you are late you call to let the school know or you get somebody else to pick me up. When you I wasn't told you were going to be late and nobody came to get me. I got scared that you had been hurt or worse killed in the field. I was really afraid and asked aloud where you were. Pamela over heard and started making fun of me. When I told her I was scared for you. She said that it would be good if he was dead because I was a bad daughter. I got mad and shoved her." Mica explained.

"Where was the teacher when you were being picked on?" Gibbs asked.

"Over with Lori and her friend Beth." Mica replied.

"Well I can't say I like how that teacher handled the situation and I certainly don't like that Lori called you a psycho but from now on if somebody bullies you. I want you to ignore them not shove them. You could have really hurt her and that Pamela girl does not sound like she is worth the trouble. If she gives you anymore trouble tell me and I will handle it. For tonight however I want you to get a good night's sleep and I am sure you will feel better by morning." Gibbs replied.

"I'll try." Mica replied.

"Don't let Lori and that Pamela get you down. I am not condoning what Lori said but she has had a rough year and I don't know about Pamela but maybe she has had a hard life too." Gibbs explained.

"Am I in trouble?" Mica asked.

"Not this time." Gibbs replied.

* * *

After his talk with Mica, Gibbs walked down the hall to Lori's room. He was shocked to find out that his foster daughter had called his biological daughter a psycho. He was hoping that Lori was just acting up due to anxiety over the past year of her life and that she wasn't legitimately mean. He also had no idea that Pamela had said hurtful things to Mica. He just hoped that his daughter would learn to not use her fists to deal with bullies. He still struggled with that concept and he certainly didn't want his daughter to be like him in that sense. He knocked on the door and waited for Lori to allow him to come inside.

"Lori I need to talk to you." Gibbs said.

"What is it Gibbs? Can it wait until morning? I am really tired." Lori asked.

"No it has to be now." Gibbs replied.

"Is it about Mica being a bully?" Lori asked.

"No this is about you." Gibbs replied.

"Me? What did I do?" Lori asked.

"Is it true that you called Mica a psycho?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes but she kind of is I mean she pushed that girl right over." Lori replied.

"That may be true but did you know that Pamela was saying hurtful things to Mica?" Gibbs asked.

"Well yeah but shoving her was psycho." Lori replied.

"I do not like name calling Mallory." Gibbs warned.

"But shoving is OK?" Lori asked.

"No it is not but that situation has been dealt with. Now I am going to deal with you and you are grounded for a week and you are to apologize to Mica first thing in the morning." Gibbs replied.

"Fine! I will apologize to the jerk!" Lori snapped.

"You want to go for two weeks?" Gibbs asked.

"How long is Mica grounded for?" Lori asked.

"That is none of your business." Gibbs replied.

"So she isn't! You should send her to jail she is evil!" Lori snapped.

"Lori she is not evil and neither are you but if you cannot start to get along with my daughter than I am going to have to reconsider adopting you." Gibbs warned.

* * *

**A/N: Will Lori take Gibbs's words seriously? We will learn a little more about Shane in the next chapter and he will be able to understand Mica's situation better than anyone. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	13. Mica and Shane

Mica was alone at daycare for the second day in a row. Today Erica was there but she was hanging out with the older kids not wanting to leave Jared's side. After the talk she had with her dad. Her dad had gotten a call from Mr. Vance saying that Jared was home. They had taken him to the hospital and aside from a few new battle scars and being mildly shaken up. He was going to be OK. Mica was glad that Jared was back. That went without saying. She was just hoping that with her brother back Erica would be more wanting to play and have fun. Gracie was the one who wasn't there today. Mrs. Hollis had called Gibbs and said that Gracie had a stomach-ache. Personally Mica wasn't buying it. Gracie had been acting strange for weeks. What if she was sick like Mrs. Vance? When she was in first grade. Mica remembered going with her dad to a concert the high school band put on. For the brother of one of the members a boy only a grade or two ahead of her who had brain cancer. A few months later, she read in the paper that the kid had died. She remembered her dad holding her and saying how much he hated that kids had to die. Not long after that she found out she had an older half-sister from another mother who had been killed along with her mother. She didn't want Gracie to be sick and she certainly didn't want her to die. She knew that not everybody with cancer died. In fact now days more and more people were surviving but her grandmother and that boy had died of it and Mrs. Vance was dying of it. No Gracie didn't have cancer but something was definitely wrong with her.

"Freeze Federal Agent!" Shane cried jumping out from under the table.

"Hi Shane." Mica greeted.

"You're not supposed to say hi to me! Your supposed to run!" Shane cried.

"Yeah but I already got in trouble yesterday and running is only allowed on the playground." Mica replied.

"Oh alright!" Shane sighed.

"How are you today, Shane?" Mica asked.

"OK, how are you?" Shane asked.

"Not so great." Mica admitted.

"What's wrong? Did you get in trouble?" Shane asked.

"Not really my dad talked to me but he grounded my foster-sister Lori for calling me "Kind of a psycho." and now she is even more mad at me." Mica explained.

"Did you tell your dad?" Shane asked.

"No" Mica sighed.

"Why not?" Shane asked.

"Because I already got in trouble and I hate getting in trouble and I never used to get in trouble before Lori came. Now I am always in trouble and I don't like it! I don't even really like being mean to Lori but she is such a Miss. Perfect and makes me look bad." Mica explained.

"I know how you feel." Shane replied.

"How?" Mica asked.

"My mom got remarried last year and when she did I ended up with a step brother who is a goody two shoes." Shane explained.

"Boy she got remarried fast." Mica commented.

"No my parents divorced when I was two. My sister who was seven went with my mom and my dad got me. My mom and Steve had just gotten engaged when my dad died." Shane explained.

"That's a lot of change really fast." Mica commented.

"I know. So how did Lori and Katie end up with you guys?" Shane asked.

"They were my grandpa Jack's foster daughters and after he died my dad took them in." Mice explained.

"Talk about change." Shane replied.

"I know." Mica replied.

"Don't worry maybe Lori is just having a hard time adjusting to the change. I am sure that she will come around soon." Shane assured.

"I hope so." Mica replied.

"Let's talk about something else." Shane said.

"Like what?" Mica questioned.

"Tell me about yourself? Any other siblings besides Lori and Katie?" Shane asked.

"I had an older sister but she and her mom were murdered back in nineteen ninety-one." Mica replied.

"Then how are you here?" Shane asked.

"Kelly had a different mom. My dad married three other times before he married my mom in two thousand and six." Mica explained.

"Where is your mom?" Shane asked.

"She died when I was three but I don't want to talk about it." Mica replied.

"Oh I am sorry." Shane replied.

"Rule six" Mica grunted.

"Huh?" Shane asked.

"Rule six never apologize. It is one of my dad's rules." Mica replied.

"OK" Shane replied skeptically.

"What about you tell me about yourself." Mica suggested.

"You know it all." Shane replied.

"Well do you have a favorite color?" Mica asked.

"Maroon" Shane replied.

"That's interesting." Mica replied.

"What's your favorite?" Shane asked.

"Red, just like my dad." Mica replied.

"So do you have any friends?" Shane asked.

"Yes but they are being weird now." Mica replied.

"You have a lot of weird people in your life." Shane replied.

"I know but I can't really fault Erica." Mica replied.

"Erica Vance?" Shane asked.

"Yeah" Mica replied.

"It is sad about her mom. My sister Tara is on her brother Jared's soccer team. I am glad Jared came home OK." Shane replied.

"Me too and I really wish that Mrs. Vance wasn't so sick, too." Mica replied.

"Who is your other friend?" Shane asked.

"Gracie Hollis" Mica replied.

"My dad was her dad's Senior Field Agent." Shane replied.

"Oh your dad was Agent Brecken?" Mica asked.

"Yes, he was." Shane replied.

"He was really nice. I think I met you at the Christmas party a few years ago." Mica commented.

"I remember that I wish I could have gone to NCIS more but my dad was worried about me. I guess he had reason to. I was supposed to be there the day of the bombing but my dad got the call about Dearing and made me stay home." Shane explained.

"Well I am glad that you did." Mica replied.

* * *

**A/N: Good thing Shane knows what Mica is going through. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	14. Emotion

Shane invited Mica over to play after daycare. Gibbs typically hesitated to let Mica go over to strangers houses. Without meeting their parents first but he had known Shane's dad from work and he had met Shane's mom several times. So he allowed Mica to go over. As long as she called him when she arrived and allowed Shane's mom to speak with him and called again, should anything happen. Mica agreed and Shane assured Gibbs that his mom and step-dad were good people and he would look out for Mica because his dad had taught him to be a gentlemen. Shane's mom, Debbie arrived to pick Shane up at a little after five. Shane jumped in the back seat behind Debbie and Mica started to climb in the passenger seat.

"Sorry young lady you are not five feet tall, so you have to ride in the back." Debbie explained in a cool southern draw. He breath smelled like cigarettes which made Mica gag. She was glad that her dad quit smoking after her brother Tony got the plague.

"Sorry, Mrs. Dawkins." Mica apologized.

"Shane is Dawkins, my last name is Grant." Debbie corrected.

"Oh I am sorry." Mica apologized.

"It's alright sweetie, it is confusing now get in the backseat, people are waiting." Debbie replied.

* * *

Mica apologized to Mrs. Grant again before climbing the backseat and fastening her seat-belt. Shane turned around and looked at her. His eyes were light green like the ocean. She had never seen eyes that color Tony, McGee, and Abby all had emerald-green eyes. Tony's really were the color of emeralds and Gracie had blue-green eyes but Shane's were sea-foam green. She wondered why she cared so much about somebody's eyes or why she even noticed that much. Typically she only noticed blue or hazel eyes blue because her whole life people would tell her she had her father's eyes and hazel because that was the colors of her mom's eyes.

"Are you OK?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, I uh I like your eyes." Mica replied nervously.

"Thanks I got them from my dad." Shane replied.

"I have my dad's eyes too." Mica replied wondering why she could see Mrs. Grant grinning in the rear-view mirror.

"So what do you want to do when we get to my house?" Shane asked.

"What games do you have?" Mica asked.

"Monopoly is the only one I can find all the pieces for." Shane replied.

"OK that sounds like fun." Mica replied.

"We can play that but I am supposed to play outside for half an hour before dinner." Shane replied.

"Do you have a basketball hoop?" Mica asked.

"That depends I know Tony DiNozzo is on your dad's team. Has he ever taught you to play?" Shane asked.

"We play all the time, I have picked a few things up." Mica commented.

"Then no." Shane replied.

"Shane Kenneth Dawkins, you have a basketball hoop and you will let that girl play. Remember what Coach Miller, said you need to work on losing graciously." Debbie called from the front seat.

"Alright mom, I will let her play." Shane sighed.

"It's OK I am no pro but Tony said I am pretty good for a seven-year old." Mica replied.

"I guess it will be fun even if I lose." Shane replied.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Hollis called the daycare and said that they were unable to pick her up but, her dad had sent a cab to come and collect her. Gracie secretly wished that she could tell the cab driver to take her to Jimmy's house. Lately Jimmy's house was the only place she felt safe. Ever since Mrs. Vance got sick and she was forced to attend daycare. Unfortunately her dad had given the address when he called the taxi service and if she didn't come home. Then the daycare would get in trouble. She didn't really like the daycare center but she didn't want to have to go anywhere else. At least here she had Erica and Mica even though she didn't really feel like playing with them lately. The cab pulled into her driveway, she handed the driver her emergency credit card, climbed out, and walked up the driveway towards her house. She shuddered at the now far too familiar sound of yelling. She started to run back down the driveway but the door swung open and her dad grabbed her and drug her inside by her collar. He dropped her to the floor with a thud.

"We need to talk!" Mr. Hollis snapped.

"About what?" Gracie asked nervously.

"We have a huge problem." Mrs. Hollis replied.

"What's wrong?" Gracie asked.

"Well obviously we can't have you around here. Not with you being so against our plans for director Vance." Mr. Hollis replied.

"Yeah so?" Gracie asked nervously.

"You are going to be living in the basement from now on. You may only leave if your father or I are with you." Mrs. Hollis explained.

"We moved all your bedroom stuff down there and there is a small bathroom down there. So you will only need to come out when we say." Mr. Hollis added.

"What if people ask where I am?" Gracie asked.

"Your father and I have agreed to tell everybody you are staying with your aunt in New Mexico for the summer." Mrs. Hollis replied.

"You can't do this!" Gracie cried.

"I am sorry but we have to!" Mr. Hollis snapped grabbing Gracie and dragging her down to the basement.

* * *

Erica stood behind Kayla and Jared on the stoop, while Kayla unlocked the door. Their mom had chemo that day. So the kids were on their own. Once inside Kayla grabbed a stack of carry out menus out of the drawer and spread them out on the table. She told Jared and Erica to look them over and decide what they wanted. She would be back down in ten minutes after she had a shower and got changed for volley ball practice. Jared grabbed the menus and started to look them over while Erica walked over to the couch. She fell on to it and grabbed the cushion her mom usually sat on. She couldn't understand why she was so upset. It's not like her mom had died or anything she was just sick.

"Are you OK, Erica?" Jared asked.

"No" Erica admitted.

"What's wrong are you sick?" Jared asked.

"I don't want mom to die." Erica sobbed.

"I know, I don't either." Jared replied.

"It's really scary because dad has a dangerous job and I always knew he could die but now mom is really sick and going to die. What is going to happen if he dies too?" Erica asked.

"Don't you remember mom and dad's friend from California will take us." Jared assured.

"I don't want to move!" Erica cried.

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to dad." Jared assured.

"I am glad you came back, Jared." Erica replied.

"I am too and I am sorry I left but I was really scared." Jared replied.

"It's OK you are back now. That is all that matters." Erica replied.

* * *

**A/N: Mica and her friends have some big problems for seven-year olds. New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	15. Is Something Wrong?

Mica was curled up in the fetal position on her bed. Gracie and Shane were both absent from daycare today. At least Shane would be back tomorrow. The youth orchestra his sister was a part of had a big performance at a nursing home and his sister had a piano solo. When she asked the teacher where Gracie Hollis was she simply said she couldn't tell her anymore than Gracie was away and wouldn't be back for a while. Erica was there and she was feeling a little better, so she played with her for a while. Erica told her about how they were all seeing a counselor now and how her parents wanted to go on vacation together one last time. So in a few weeks they were all going to a friend of her dad's beach-house for a week, then she and her siblings would come back and stay with friends. So her parents could have the weekend to themselves. Mica had tried to be interested in what Erica was saying but her mind was on Gracie. She asked Erica about it but she knew even less than the teachers did. She just hoped she didn't make Erica think she didn't care. She did care about Erica and her family but she was really scared for Gracie. Her dad was downstairs in the basement, Katie was in her playpen in the living room, and Lori was in her room sulking because she didn't get to go hang out with her friends. Mica heard crying from downstairs. She got up, walked down to the living room, and picked Katie up. The baby stopped crying and nestled up in her chest. She liked her baby sister so much more than her older sister but she would never say. She had barely gotten out of trouble for fighting so much with Lori. A few minutes later her dad came into the room with Katie's baby food.

"Sorry it took me so long I was on the phone." Gibbs apologized.

"It's OK." Mica assured.

"Can you bring Katie into the kitchen for me?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah sure, then can I go outside real quick before dinner?" Mica asked.

"Actually I need to talk to you about something." Gibbs replied walking with Mica into the kitchen. Mica handed him Katie and then sat down at the table, while he placed Katie in the high chair and began feeding her.

"What's going on?" Mica asked while Gibbs took a break from feeding Katie to let her digest a bit.

"Remember how I said I was on the phone when Katie started crying?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah why?" Mica asked.

"I was talking to Mr. Hollis." Gibbs replied.

"Really? Where is Gracie? When will she be back?" Mica asked.

"Gracie decided that she wanted to stay with her aunt for the summer." Gibbs replied.

"Where is she really? I know you are lying!" Mica questioned.

"How do you know I am lying?" Gibbs asked.

"Because dad, Gracie doesn't have any aunts. Her mom is an only child and her dad only has a brother." Mica explained.

"Oh well maybe they meant her uncle's wife. Maybe they are on a girls vacation." Gibbs commented.

"No dad! Gracie doesn't have any aunts. Her uncle is gay." Mica explained.

"I will talk to Agent Hollis in the morning." Gibbs assured.

"What if she is really sick?" Mica asked.

"Try not to worry too much I am sure this will all turn out to be nothing." Gibbs assured completely unaware that all too soon he would regret those words.

* * *

Shane half-heatedly flipped the channels on the TV. His mom and Tara were out and his step-dad was playing football with the boys. He hated football and he was feeling kind of sick. He had felt bad for a couple of days actually but he wasn't running a fever or anything. Maybe he had just eaten something that didn't agree with him. The daycare food was pretty gross and he always felt worse when he was at daycare. A few minutes later the door opened and Tara bounded into the room.

"Hi Shaney!" Tara cried.

"Hi Tarry where's mom?" Shane asked.

"She went to get dinner but I wanted to be home in time to watch The Middle." Tara replied.

"Oh I don't think I am going to eat my stomach kind of hurts." Shane commented.

"Well you don't feel warm, what are your symptoms?" Tara asked.

"I don't know I feel sick and my heart feels weird." Shane explained.

"Like you need to go to the hospital weird or you ate an entire jar of banana peppers again weird?" Tara questioned.

"One time! And it's not like a heart attack or anything it just rushes sometimes and I get all sweaty. OK maybe that is bad but it only really happens at daycare and my stomach is really bad there." Shane explained.

"Do any of your other little friends feel sick when they eat there?" Tara asked.

"I only have one friend and Mica doesn't seem affected." Shane replied.

"Mica, I have never heard that name before. At least not from any of your friends. Is he nice?" Tara asked.

"We just met and she is amazing." Shane replied.

"She? Mica is a girl?" Tara asked.

"Yeah it's short for Michaela." Shane replied.

"Aw I know what's wrong!" Tara cooed.

"What? Am I dying? Should I get my affairs in order?" Shane asked.

"No silly you aren't dying! You aren't even sick!" Tara cried.

"Then what's wrong?" Shane asked.

"My little Shaney, has a crush on this Mica girl!" Tara squealed.

* * *

Gracie paced around the basement. There were no windows, only a small light, and the mirror in the bathroom was dirty and scratched. There was no way into the outside world except for a dusty old black and white TV that barely worked and with no clock or calender time meant nothing. For all she knew thirty years had passed by already. Her parents had told her it would be just like being in her old bedroom upstairs but she was pretty sure prison would be better than this. She picked up what was now her only possession and her favorite thing. A picture of herself, Mica, and Erica. She picked up the picture and looked at her friends. Running over the picture with her finger.

"Please help me, you are both like your dads just please help me." Mica pleaded to the photograph.

* * *

**A/N: Aw, Shane has a crush on Mica! On a serious note will Gibbs figure out that the Hollis's are keeping Gracie prisoner? New chapter will be up soon. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	16. Far From Normal

It had been two weeks since any member of the outside world had seen Melinda Grace Hollis. It was a Friday and the daycare center was closing at two for a staff meeting and detailed cleaning before the major inspection that would take place the following day. The plan was for Gibbs to pick her up from daycare and take her to NCIS HQ and then Breena would pick her up from NCIS and spend the day with her. Since she and Jimmy were planning on adopting an older child. They had started from time to time taking Mica and the Vance children for day trips. They had taken Gracie a couple of times before her parent sent her away that is. Shane was home with a really bad cold but Erica actually felt up to playing that day. Mrs. Vance was starting adjust to the chemo and wasn't as sick when she came home and Jared was finally starting to act more like his old self. After daycare let out a friend of the Vance family came and picked up Kayla, Jared, and Erica. Mica waved goodbye to her friend from the back window of her dad's truck. Relieved that Lori was going to the movies with one of her new friends even if it was Pamela the bully. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Lori worming her way into her special trip with Breena.

"Daddy?" Mica asked.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"Have you found anything new out about Gracie?" Mica asked.

"No, Agent Hollis isn't talking and any time I go over to their house nobody is home." Gibbs explained.

"Can't you track her?" Mica asked.

"Not without a cellphone or tracking device." Gibbs replied.

"There has to be something you can do!" Mica cried.

"There is plenty I can do but there is very little I can actually do." Gibbs replied.

"Why can't you do much?" Mica questioned.

"I don't have any actual evidence that Mr. Hollis has done anything bad to Gracie and I can't get a warrant off of a gut feeling. Trust me I have tried." Gibbs explained.

"What if by the time you get real evidence it's too late?" Mica asked.

"What are you going to do with Breena today?" Gibbs asked changing the subject." Gibbs asked trying to change the subject,

"I don't know." Mica replied.

"Well I hope you have fun and I am going to give Breena, thirty dollars but that is all the spending money you get so don't spend it all in one place and if Breena offers to buy you something pick out something cheap. They are going to the children's home next week and need to save money for anything the kid they adopt may need." Gibbs explained.

"OK" Mica replied.

"Great also remember your manners say yes mam and no mam and please and thank you and try not to ask about the adoption process. I know it is interesting to you but this has been really hard on the Palmer's." Gibbs explained.

"Yes sir" Mica replied.

"That's my girl." Gibbs replied.

* * *

Erica looked up at the ceiling of Kayla's room. Well her and Kayla's room from now on. Her mom needed a hospital bed that was easier for her to get in and out of and would accommodate any medical supplies she may need in the future. Her parents had chosen her room to be Jackie's room. So she was back to bunking with Kayla. She would prefer to room with Jared but they were a little old to share a room being a boy and a girl.

"Off my bed!" Kayla snapped.

"Sorry" Erica sighed.

"I don't get why they couldn't put mom in the den or dining room." Kayla sighed.

"Hey I don't like this either!" Erica snapped.

"Then ask again to room with Jared!" Kayla snapped.

"Fine!" Erica snapped.

"I will be out back! Sleep where you want!" Kayla snapped.

"I wasn't going to sleep here! I was just lying on your bed!" Erica shot back.

* * *

Shane pulled himself up off the bathroom floor. He had been sick with a cold since Saturday and was finally feeling better today. His mom had said that as long as his fever didn't go back up before seven the next morning he could go back to daycare. Then about an hour ago he started throwing up. He was hoping he had just eaten too much but his mom had taken his temperature and his fever was back. His parents were confident it was just a twelve or twenty-four hour bug based on how quickly it had come on but either way he would be missing daycare again tomorrow and that meant no Mica. He really liked even if they were too young to really be in love. She was still a really fun friend. She wasn't like the other girls. She didn't mind getting dirty and he could rough-house with her and not make her cry or hurt her feelings.

"Shane are you feeling better?" Debbie asked from the doorway.

"I just puked again." Shane replied.

"Oh you poor baby." Debbie replied.

"I can't believe I have to miss daycare again tomorrow." Shane sighed.

"I know sweetie, I know how much you miss Mica but even if you are better by morning I can't send you so soon after having a fever and throwing up. Besides you wouldn't want to give her your bug. Would you?" Debbie asked.

"No" Shane replied.

"That's what I thought, now come on let's get you back to bed." Debbie replied,

* * *

McGee sat on the fire escape platform balancing his laptop on his knees. Trying his best to console Delilah. Their had been a shake-up at the DOD and their was a new person in charge of her new assignment. The new girl had never liked Delilah and had decided to fire her from the assignment claiming that Delilah's disability was getting in the way. Even though she had been doing great at her job and everybody agreed she was doing better than most of the able-bodied people. Delilah had quit the Department of Defense all together and McGee was going to get a lawyer friend of hers to take the case of her termination from the project. Once she was back in the US he was going to get her a job with the cyber crimes unit at NCIS.

"Do you really think I will get the job?" Delilah asked.

"I think you will you are more than qualified for it and besides Vance likes me really well and with the explosion being right around the anniversary of Jackie's death. He is really sympathetic to you." McGee assured.

"I don't want to just get a job based on the fact that I can't walk and connections." Delilah sighed,

"Those are just tiny points in your favor. You are more than qualified like I said." McGee explained.

"I hope you are right Timmy." Delilah sighed.

"I am" McGee replied.

"I want to think about something different." Delilah begged.

"What?" McGee asked.

"Anything. Actually how is Mica doing? Is she getting along better with Lori?" Delilah asked.

"Not really" McGee sighed.

"Is Gibbs still thinking of putting her in a different home?" Delilah asked.

"I think he was just mad that day." McGee replied.

"Oh" Delilah sighed.

"Why?" McGee asked.

"My cousin is looking to adopt and they wanted two kids a toddler and a girl about Lori's age." Delilah explained.

"Well I will let Gibbs know but Lori is a hard case." McGee replied.

"I know but my cousin is adopted and her story is similar to Lori's." Delilah explained.

* * *

**A/N: I changed my mind on the story I wanted to write about Mica and since completely re-writing her part of the story while leaving Gracie and Erica alone, would be too complicated. I decided to end this story and write a sequel. The final chapter of Mica's rules will be up tomorrow and the sequel "Growing Up, Mica's Story" will be up sometime next week. Please review and thanks for reading.**


	17. Epilogue: The Truth About Lori

**A/N: I made revisions to chapter sixteen. Please go back and re-read the previous chapter and the Author's Note at the end of the rewritten update. Thank you.**

* * *

Gibbs could hear the screams coming from upstairs all the way down in the basement. After a period of awkward silence and the occasional dirty look when they thought nobody was looking. They were back to the loud screaming matches and slamming doors. He knew why the fights were back. After overhearing Mica and him talking about Gracie's disappearance. Lori had laughed and told Mica that "Gracie was probably just hiding to get away from you." after that Mica blew up on her. Gibbs just wondered what the heck had happened to Lori. She had been so sweet and calm back in Stillwater but ever since moving to DC, she had become loud and argumentative. Having enough of the yelling, Gibbs climbed up the basement stairs and called from the base of the main steps for the girls to get down here now. Lori and Mica stormed down the steps still screaming at each other.

"STOP NOW!" Gibbs barked, both girls stopped talking pretty quickly and looked up towards him. "What has gotten into you?!" Gibbs demanded.

"You know what she said about Gracie!" Mica snapped before turning around and storming back up the stairs in tears.

"Get back down there right now, young lady! You are in serious trouble if you don't!" Lori threatened.

"Oh shut up Lori!" Mica snapped through her tears.

"Leave Mica to me young lady." Gibbs warned.

"Fine! You hate me and I hate you!" Lori snapped.

"Mallory, can you tell me what is bothering you?" Gibbs asked.

"I hate it here." Lori replied.

"You are just adjusting, give it time and you will get used to it." Gibbs assured.

"No Gibbs I hate it here." Lori replied.

"You do?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes I do, I like my school and Pamela but I hate it here. I don't know why. I tried to get along with Mica I really did but I just hate it here." Lori explained.

"Did Mica make an effort?" Gibbs questioned.

"Yes, she has been trying to get along with me but it won't help." Lori replied.

"Are you one hundred and ten percent sure you are unhappy?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes sir" Lori replied.

"OK well today Agent McGee told me about a couple looking to adopt two kids." Gibbs explained.

"They probably just want babies." Lori sobbed.

"No they want an older kid and a toddler." Gibbs replied.

"Really?" Lori asked.

"Yes and if you would like I could call your social worker in the morning and arrange a meeting between you guys." Gibbs offered.

"I would like that." Lori agreed.

* * *

Mica sat cross-legged on Shane's bed. She was excited because today Erica got to come over too. Mr. Vance was attending an out-of-town conference. Which meant that Erica was spending the night with the Gibbs family.

"Hey Mica?" Shane asked.

"What is it, Shane?" Mica asked.

"Is it true that Lori and Katie may be going to another foster family?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, a friend of Agent McGee's wants to adopt them. They want out today to see if they would work together as a family." Mica explained.

"Are you happy, Lori is moving out?" Erica asked.

"Not really, I mean I will be glad she can't bully me anymore but I feel bad that she was so unhappy and I am really going to miss, Katie." Mica explained.

"Well maybe you can visit and stuff and maybe Lori will be nicer in her new home." Shane suggested.

"Yeah she will probably be nicer if she is happier." Erica added.

"I hope so but it will depend what Lori and her new family want." Mica replied.

"Erica how is your mom doing?" Shane asked.

"She is really sick and my dad thinks it could happen any day now." Erica replied solemnly.

"What may happen any day now?" Shane asked.

"Her mom, dying." Mica explained quietly.

"Oh that's what I thought." Shane replied sadly.

"I miss Gracie" Mica sobbed.

"I do too Mica." Erica replied.

"I wish I could have gotten to know her." Shane replied.

"Stop it! Gracie isn't dead!" Mica cried.

"Oh Mica I am sorry." Shane replied.

"Yeah Mica I am just sad." Erica replied.

"Yeah me too." Mica replied.

"Let's talk about something happy?" Shane suggested.

"Like what?" Mica asked.

"I'm getting a puppy." Shane replied.

"Really?" Mica asked.

"Yeah a black lab mix." Shane replied.

"Your lucky I can't have any pets except for fish because my dad and brother are allergic." Erica sighed.

"You could get a dog like the president's, it's hypoallergenic. I saw it on TV." Mica suggested.

"Ugh! Don't mention the president so loud! My mom will start yelling!" Shane whined.

"Oh sorry" Mica apologized.

"Ugh! I am sick of grown-ups getting mad about the president! Is that all adults do is get mad about politics and then get mad because of how long it takes to vote!" Erica snapped.

"Your right Erica." Mica agreed.

"Grown-ups are weird." Shane commented.

"Agreed!" Erica and Mica cried in unison.

* * *

Gibbs stared out the front window of his house. Mica was upstairs playing with Erica and Lori and Katie would be back from their day with Callahan's any minute now. He didn't know how to feel about all of this. On the one hand he wanted Lori to be happy and he knew that wouldn't happen with him but on the other hand he was really getting close to Lori and Katie. Even though they wouldn't be dying. It still felt like he was losing more daughters. At least he still had Mica. A red mini van pulled into the drive-way and Lori jumped out. She was already bounding up to the house when Mr. and Mrs. Callahan were climbing out of the car carrying Katie.

"Gibbs! I had the best day ever I love, Kimmy and Joe!" Lori cried.

"She did have a wonderful time." Joe agreed.

"Was she good for you?" Gibbs asked.

"She was wonderful." Kimmy assured.

"I want the Callahan's to adopt me!" Lori cried.

"Slow down sweetie." Gibbs replied.

"No it's OK we talked about it a lot and yes we want to adopt her." Joe replied.

"As long as that is OK with you." Kimmy added.

"No it's fine." Gibbs replied.

* * *

**FIN**

* * *

**A/N: Well that's it. I am sorry if you think that me having Lori be unhappy and move in with another foster family is a cop-out. If you did like the ending. I will be posting the sequel soon. To everybody who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed, thank you. One last time please review.**


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